Rotary selective line printer



May 1, 1962 J. E. BROEZE ROTARY SELECTIVE LINE PRINTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1961 INVENTOR. JBHA/ E. B20525 BY &\

Ki T TOE/V5 Y May 1, 1962 J. E. BROEZE ROTARY SELECTIVE LINE PRINTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11, 1961 May 1, 1962 J. E. BROEZE 3,031,953

RO ARY SELECTIVE LINE PRINTER Filed Jan. 11, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z INVENTOR.

432 JOHN E 590525 h 23% 534C [(3401 ByMkQwlo/u 134a HTTOANEY United States Patent 3,031,953 ROTARY SELECTIVE LINE PRINTER John E. Broeze, Valhalla, N.Y., assignor to United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 82,082 11 Claims. (Cl. 10192) My invention relates to a rotary selective line printer and more particularly to an improved printing apparatus which is adapted to print clear and legible characters on a moving sheet in a more rapid and expeditious manner than is possible in the prior art.

There are many instances in which the output information of a device such as a computer or other data processor is to be presented in the form of information printed on a sheet or a tape. In order that the full capability of the computer or data processor be utilized, the output printing mechanism must operate at extremely high speed. As a practical matter, in many instances the speed at which the data processor can handle information is limited by the speed of the output printing mechanism. It will readily be appreciated, of course, that while the machine must operate at high speeds it is required also that it print the output information in such manner that it is not blurred or smeared to an extent at which it is illegible.

Various systems have been devised in the prior art for printing output information on a sheet or strip of paper or the like. In order that these devices operate at relatively high speeds, the printing operation takes place as the paper moves. Actuating mechanisms are selectively energized so that the desired information is printed on the moving paper. The speed at which these mechaniasms of the prior art can print legible char.- acters is limited by the fact that the actuating means must act to overcome the inertia of the entire linkage associaed with the member carrying the printed character. This linkage generally includes a relatively heavy bias provided either by gravity or a return spring against which the actuator must operate. Owing .to the fact that the actuator must operate against this mechanism, the speed of printing devices of the prior art is relatively limited. For this reason they do not take advantage of the full capability of the computer .or the like with which they are associated.

One object of my invention is to provide a rotary selective line printer adapted to print information selectively on a moving medium.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rotary selective line printer which takes fuller advantage of the capabilities of the information producing machine with which it is associated than do printing mechanisms of the prior art.

A further object of my invention is to provide a rotary selective line printer which operates at higher speeds than do printing mechanisms of the prior art.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a rotary selective line printerin which the actuator need not act against the entire cam and linkage system associated with the printing element.

Other and further object of my invention will appear from the following description.

In general my invention contemplates the provision of a rotary selective line printer, each unit of which has a printing arm pivotally mounted on a rotating cage carrying the moving medium such as paper on which the information is printed. Each arm of my printer is normally urged out of engagement with the paper to bring a cam follower on the arm into engagement with stationary print actuator and inking cams which are normally urged to positions at which they can be engaged by a follower as the cage rotates. When the actuator mechanism is not energized, the printing arm biasing means overcomes the cam biasing means and no printing operation takes place. In response to an electrical signal an actuator is moved to a position at which it holds both the inking and print actuator cams positively in the positions to which they normally are biased to cause a printing operation to take place as the follower strikes the cams. The actuators of my rotary selective line printer .are selectively energized to print the desired in formation on the paper.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of my rotary selective line printer with some parts broken away and with other parts shown in section.

' FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of my rotary selective line printer taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the printing and actuator mechanism of my rotary selective line printer.

FIGURE 4 is a schematic view showing the manner in which the actuator mechanisms may selectively be energized.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, my rotary selective line printer includes a cage or reel, indicated generally by the reference character 10, having respective end plates 12 and 14 connected by circumferentially spaced bars 16, 18 and 20. I mount the cage 10 for rotation on stationary shafts 22 and 24 by means of bearings 26 and 28. A sprocket wheel 30 carried by the end plate 12, for example, permits the cage 10 to be driven to advance a sheet of paper or the like .32 past the printing mechanism to be described in detail hereinafter.

The shafts 22 and 24 .carry a stationary actuator housing 34 forming apart of a plurality of respective printing units, indicated generally by the reference character 36, spaced across .the inside of the cage 10. The cage 10 carries a main shaft 38 extending across the vcage between the end plates 12 and 14 and through all the printing units 36. Each printing unit includes a printing lever 40 ro tatably supported on the shaft 38 by .any suitable means such as by a bushing 42. A set screw 44 secured in position by a nut 4.6 and threaded into a bifurcation 48 .in the bifurcated arm 50 in a lever '40 adjusts the position .of a follower roller 52 rotatably supported by a pin 54 in the other bifurcation 56 of the arm 50. I form the arm 50 with an offset portion 58 which carries the type element 60 of the particular printing unit 36. arm 62 of the printing lever 40 extends under a bracket 64 carried by the bar 16. A spring .66 bears between the bracket .64 and a recess 68 in the arm 62 normally to urge the printing lever 40 vto rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2. Respective set screws 71] and 7,2, the positions of which are fixed by nuts 74 and 76 are carried respectively in the bar 16 and in the bracket 6.4 'to limit-the movement of lever 40 in a clock.- wise direction and inja counterclockwise direction.

'Irotatably mount an inking roll 18 in a suitable support 8,0.be1ow the cage 10 as viewed in FIGURE 2. The inking roll 78 maybe of any convenient type. It may be aporous material impregnated with ink or it may be of e typ whi h c rri s in p f m a su t reservoir .(not shown) ;to a-position at which it can apply ink .to the type 60. I mount a printing roll .82 of any suitable material such, for example, as hard rubber in suitable sup.- ports 84 over the cage 10 as viewed in FIGURE 2. When a printing operationis to take place, the cage .10 carrying the printing lever 40 rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2 first to carry the type 60 past the inking roll 78. At this time the type 60 is brought into engagement with the roll 78 to cause ink to be applied thereto in a manner to be described hereinafter. As the cage continues to rotate and as the type 60 arrives at a position below roll 82 the type is brought into engagement with the underside of the paper 32 to print the desired character thereon.

I provide an actuator assembly, indicated generally by the reference character 86, for each of the printing units 36. Each assembly includes a print cam 88 having a hub 90 by means of which the cam is rotatably supported on a shaft 92 carried by housing 34. A spring 94 bearing between a bracket 96 on the housing 34 and arm 98 on hub 90 normally urges cam 88 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2. I provide my assembly with a stop pin 100 carried by housing 34 and extending into a hole 102 in the print cam 88 to limit the movement of the cam.

Each of the actuator assemblies 86 includes an inking cam 104 having a hub 106 by means of which the cam is rotatably supported on a shaft 108 carried by the housing 34. A spring 110 bearing between the bracket 96 and an arm 112 carried by hub 106 normally urges cam 104 to move in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2. A limit pin 114 carried by housing 34 extends into an opening 116 in cam 104 to limit the movement of this cam.

From the structure just described, it will be seen that the printing lever 40 is biased to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2. The respective print cam 88 and inking cam 104 are biased to rotate in a clockwise direction and to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. Thus both the cams 88 and 104 and the roller 52 are urged in such directions as to cause the roller to engage the cams as the cage rotates in the direction of the arrow A in FIGURE 2. The strength of the biasing spring 66 in relation to the strength of both the biasing springs 94 and 110 is such that in the position of the parts shown in FIGURE 2 as cam follower 52 strikes the respective cams 88 and 104 its biasing means overcomes that of the cams and no printing operation takes place. That is, the strength of the light springs 94 and 110 is not sufiicient to raise the printing lever 40 to a position at which ink is applied to the type 60 or to a position at which the type is brought into engagement with the paper.

Each of the printing units 36 includes a rotary solenoid 118 of any suitable type known to the art which when energized causes a rotary displacement of its shaft 120. One type of solenoid 118 suitable for my purpose includes a winding 130 which, when energized, draws a plate 121 of magnetic material toward the winding. Balls 123 riding in cam tracks 125 in the plate cause the plate to rotate shaft 120 against the action of a very light return spring 127. I mount a respective actuator 122 on each of the shafts 120 by any suitable means such as by a pin 124. When its winding is energized, the solenoid 118 displaces its shaft in a rotary direction to move the actuator 122 from the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 2 to the position shown in broken lines. In this latter position of the actuator 122 it moves under the respective cams 88 and 104. In this position of the parts as the cage 10 rotates, since both cams 88 and 104 are held positively in the positions to which they are urged by springs 94 and 110, as the roller 52 passes by the cam 54 the type 60 will be brought into engagement with the inking roller 78 and as the roller 52 passes cam 88 the lever 40 will be moved to a position at which the inked type 60 engages the sheet 32 to print the desired character thereon. Electrical connections to the various solenoids 118 may be made through terminals 126 carried by a terminal board 128 on the housing 34.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, I have indicated the respective solenoid windings 130 as being connected to terminals 126 on boards 128. I connect one terminal of each of the windings 130 to ground by means of conductors 132. Respective conductors 134a, 134b, 134a and 134d are selectively energized by signals from the device with which my printer is associated selectively to energize windings 130.

As can be seen by reference to FIGURE 2, I may arrange the cage 10 in tandem with one or more preceding or following cages, a preceding one of which is indicated generally by the reference character 136 to permit printing on both sides of the sheet 32 and to permit a large amount of information to be printed out on the sheet.

In operation of my rotary selective line printer with the parts in the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 2, as the printing levers 40 approach the inking roll 78 signals are selectively applied to the conductors 134a to 134d to move the selected actuators 132 from the full line position shown in FIGURE 2 to the broken line position shown in FIGURE 2. The cams 88 and 104 corresponding to the selected actuator 122 are held in the positions to which they are urged by their biasing means. It will be appreciated in thus conditioning one of the printing units for operation, the solenoid 118 need act only against the light return spring 127 for the actuator 122 and it does not act against any of the other biasing springs 94, and 66 or other linkages of the mechanism. Now as the printing levers 40 pass the ink roll 78 those corresponding to activated actuators are moved to a position at which they engage the ink roller by reason of the engagement of the follower 52 with cam 104. Those levers which do not correspond to operated actuators merely move the corresponding cams 104 upwardly against the biasing springs 110.

When the levers 40 approach the print roll 82, those which are to act are urged by cams 88 into engagement with the paper 32 to cause an impression to be made on the paper. Those levers 40 which do not act merely move the corresponding cams 88 against the action of the biasing spring 94. When the levers 40 have passed by roll 82 all solenoids are de-energized and the return springs 124 move the actuators back to the full line position shown in FIGURE 2 ready for the next operation.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided a rotary selective line printer adapted selectively to print characters on a moving strip of material such as paper. My rotary selective line printer operates at a higher speed than do printers of the prior art. My rotary selective line printer permits me to take advantage of the device with which my printer is used. The actuator of my printer need act only against the force of a relatively light return spring and is not required to act against the entire linkage and biasing means of the printing mechanism with which it is associated.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A printing device including in combination a printing element, an actuator mechanism, means mounting said printing element and said actuator mechanism for relative movement, means biasing said printing element to an inoperative position, means biasing said actuator mechanism to an operative position at which it is adapted to move said printing element to an operative position against the action of its biasing means in response to relative movement between said printing element and said actuator mechanism, the relative strengths of said biasing means being such that said printing element biasing means normally overcomes said actuator mechanism biasing means and means adapted to be actuated to hold said actuating mechanism in said operative position.

2. A printing device including in combination a printing element, means mounting said printing element for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said printing element to its inoperative position, an actuating element, means mounting said actuating element for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said actuating element to its operative position, means for moving said printing element mounting means relative to said actuating element mounting means to cause said printing element to engage said actuating element, the relative strengths of said biasing means being such that said printing element biasing means overcomes said actuating element biasing means in response to interengagement of said elements and means adapted to be actuated to retain said actuating element in its operative position.

3. A printing device including in combination a first support, a printing element, means mounting said printing element on said first support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said printing element to its inoperative position, a second support, an actuating element, means mounting said actuating element on said second support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said actuating element to its operative position, means for moving said supports relative to each other to cause said actuating element to engage said printing element, the relative strengths of said biasing means being such that said printing element biasing means normally overcomes said actuating element biasing means and means adapted to be actuated to retain said actuating element in its operative position.

4. A printing device including in combination, a first support, a printing mechanism, means mounting said printing mechanism on said first support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said printing mechanism to its inoperative position, a second support, an actuator mechanism carried by said second support, means biasing said actuator mechanism to operative condition, means for moving said supports relative to each other, said printing and actuator mechanisms comprising interengageable means adapted to engage each other upon relative movement of said supports, the relative strengths of said biasing means being such that said printing mechanism biasing means normally overcomes said actuator mechanism biasing means and means adapted to be actuated to retain said actuator mechanism in its operative condition.

5. A printing device including in combination a stationary support, a cage, means mounting said cage for movement on said stationary support, a printing element, means mounting said printing element for movement on said cage from an inoperative position to an operative position at which a printing operation can take place, means biasing said printing element to its inoperative position, an actuator, means mounting said actuator on said support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position at which it engages said printing element, means biasing said actuator to its operative position, said printing element biasing means being sufliciently strong to overcome said actuator biasing means upon interengagement of said printing element and said actuator and means adapted to be actuated to retain said actuator in its operative position.

6. A printing device including in combination, a first support, a printing element, means mounting said printing element on said first support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said printing element to its inoperative position, a first actuating element, means mounting said first actuating element on said second support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, a second actuating element, means mounting said second actuating element on said second support'in spaced relation to said first actuating element for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, respective means biasing said actuating elements to operative positions, means for moving said supports relative to each other to cause said printing element successively to engage said actuating elements, said printing element biasing means being sufliciently strong normally to overcome said actuating element biasing means upon interengagement of the printing element with said actuating elements and means adapted to be actuated to retain said actuating elements in their operative position.

7. A printing device including in combination a first support, a printing element, means mounting said printing element on said first support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said printing element to its inoperative position, a second support, a first actuating element, means mounting said first actuating element on said second support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, a second actuating element, means mounting said second actuating element on said second support in spaced relation to said first actuating element for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, respective means biasing said actuating elements to operative position, means for moving said supports relative to each other to a first relative position at which said printing element engages said first actuating element and to a second relative position at which said printing element engages said second actuating element, an inking mechanism disposed adjacent said first support in a position to be engaged by said printing element in its operative position, said printing element biasing means being sufiiciently strong normally to overcome said actuating element biasing means and selectively operable means for retaining said actuating elements in their operative positions.

8. A printing device including in combination a stationary support, a cage, means mounting said cage for rotary movement on said support, an impression roller, means mounting said impression roller adjacent said cage, an inking roller, means mounting said inking roller adjacent said cage in spaced relation to said impression roller, a printing arm carried by said cage, means mounting said printing arm on said cage for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means for biasing said printing arm to its inoperative position, a print cam, means mounting said print cam on said support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said print cam to its operative position, an inking cam, means mounting said inking cam on said support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said inking cam to its operative position, means for rotating said cage on said support successively to cause said printing arm to engage said cams, said printing ann biasing means being sufficiently strong normally to overcome said cam biasing means and means adapted to be operated to retain said cams in their operative position whereby to move said printing arm toward said inking roller upon interengagement of said arm and said inking cam and to move said printing arm toward said impression roller upon interengagement of said printing arm and said printing cam.

9. A printing device including in combination a stationary support, a cage, means mounting said cage for rotary movement on said support, an impression roller, means mounting said impression roller adjacent said cage, an inking roller, means mounting said inking roller adjacent said cage in spaced relation to said impression roller, a printing arm carried by said cage, means mounting said printing arm on said cage for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means for biasing said printing arm to its inoperative position, a print cam, means mounting said print cam on said support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said print cam to its operative position, an inking cam, means mounting said inking cam on said support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said inking cam to its operative position and means for limiting the movement of said cams under the action of their biasing means.

10. A printing device including in combination a stationary support, a cage, means mounting said cage for rotary movement on said support, an impression roller, means mounting said impression roller adjacent said cage, an inking roller, means mounting said inking roller adjacent said cage in spaced relation to said impression roller, a printing arm carried by said cage, means mounting said printing arm on said cage for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means for biasing said printing arm to its inoperative position, a print cam, means mounting said print cam on said SUP, port to movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said print cam to its operative positon, an inking cam, means mounting said inking cam on said support for movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, means biasing said inking cam to its operative position, means for rotating said cage on said support successively to cause said printing arm to engage said cams, said printing arm biasing means being sufiiciently strong normally to overcome said cam biasing means, an actuator having a pair of arms, means mounting said actuator for movement from an inoperative position to a position at which said arms are under the respective cams to hold said cams in operative positions, means biasing said actuator to its inoperative position and means adapted to be energized to move said actuator arms under said cams.

11. A printing device including in combination a stationary support, a cage, means mounting said cage for rotary movement on said support, a plurality of printing arms, means mounting said printing arms on said cage for movement from inoperative positions to operative positions, means normally biasing said arms to their inoperative positions, respective actuators associated with said arms, means mounting said actuators on said support for movement from inoperative positions to operative positions at which they are engaged by corresponding arms upon movement of said cage, means normally biasing said actuators to operative positions, said arm biasing means being sufiiciently strong to overcome the corresponding actuator biasing means upon interengagement of the arms and their associated actuators and selectively operable means for retaining said actuators in their operative positions.

No references cited. 

